Machine for printing photographs



May 13, 1930.

G. w. STALEY MACHINE FOR PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHS Filed Nov. 2, 1926 4 sheets-sheet l May 13, 1930. l G. w. sTALEY "1,758,588

MACHINE FOR PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHS Filed Nov. 2f 1926 4 sheets-sheet 2 Swan/woz ,f jfl fltlloznefqg May 13, 1930. G. w. sTALEY MACHINE FOR PRINTING HOTOGRAPHS Filed Nov. 2, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 gnvemto/L @Manaus J May 13, 1930.

G. w. sTALEY ,MACHINE FOR PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHS Filed Nov. 2. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet Patented May 13, 1930 UNETED STATES GUY W. STALEY, OF ROBBINSDALE, MINNESOTA MACHINE FOR PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHS Application filed November 2, 1926. Serial No. 145,798.

This invention relates to means for printing photographs and has for its object the provision of an apparatus whereby photographic prints may be easily made with minimum handling of the photographic paper or card and which will be susceptible of ready adjustment to the size of the print to be made. The invention also has for its object the provision of means whereby, when the sensitive surface upon which the print is to be made has been properly positioned against the negative, lamps will be energized to send light through the negative to make the proper impression upon the sensitized surface, and a further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction whereby the print will be automatically released as the pressure holding it to the negative is withdrawn. The invention also has for an object the provision of novel means whereby an identifying insignia may be impressed upon the back of each print as it is made. Other objects of the invention will appear incidentally in the course of the following description, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a printing machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 oir Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a detail.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a bed plate or base block upon which is secured a lamp house 2 which may be of any approved design and contains a test lamp 3 and working lamps 4. The test lamp 3 may have ruby or orange globe and burns continuously so that sufficient light will be presented at the light opening 5 in the front of the lamp house to facilitate the accurate placing of the negative and the proper centering of the paper or other sensitized surface with respect to the negative. The working lamps 4 are normally inactive but are automatically energized when a print is to be made, as will be more particularly hereinafter set forth,

The lamp house contains a false bottom or horizontal partition 6 whereby a compartment for the prints is defined, and the light compartment is provided with a door 9 to permit access thereto. The rear end of the print compartment 7 is constructed to admit a drawer 8 in which the prints may collect when only one operator is working. When two operators are at work, however, the prints may be discharged, as they are made, through an opening 10 in the rear end of the drawer to be at once developed and fixed. To direct the prints to and through the opening 10, I provide a shelf or chute 100 which has its rear end fitted through said opening and is equipped at its front end with a leg or prop 101 hinged to its under side. lVhen the prints are to accumulate in the drawer, the leg is folded under the shelf and the latter placed flat upon the bottom of the drawer, but when the prints are to be immediately developed the leg is eX- tended to support the shelf in an inclined position, as shown in F ig. 4, collapse of the structure being avoided by engaging the lower end of the leg in the angle defined by thc'bottom and front end wall of the drawer.

Upon the front of the lamp house is a holding frame 11 which supports a pane 12 of transparent material and the pane may be cushioned against the front wall of the lamp house by a packing 13 of felt or other material. This frame 11 may receive the film and serves as a permanent mask to prevent the blurred marginal printing which is fregpently observable in photographic prints. pon the front wall of the lamp house above the frame 11 are headed studs 14 which project forwardly therefrom, and upon these studs is hung an outer mask 15 consisting of an opaque plate provided near its upper end with keyhole slots 16 whereby it may be readily engaged over and suspended on the studs 14. This mask has an opening therethrough which determines the area of the print which will be made, and it will be understood that the mask will be provided in various sizes or in a number of interchangeable masks, each having an opening of a stated form and size so that the exposed portion of the ilm or negative any instance will be that desired for the print to be made. I also provide a combined border and clamping plate 17 which is adapted to clamp one end edge of the negative to the mask 15 and is adjustable across the front of the apparatus so that the side margin of the negative may be obscured to conform to the size of the print desired. This plate 17 is mounted upon a rock shaft 18 journaled in brackets 19 secured upon the lamp house and provided with a keyway 20 receiving a rib formed upon the eye 21 of the plate whereby the plate may be adjusted along the shaft but will be constrained to rock therewith. The shaft is extended beyond the bearing 19 at the left hand side of the lamp house and at said end is provided with a crank arm 22 normally projecting upwardly and having an inturned upper extremity 23 constituting a handle whereby the shaft may be easily rocked. A torsion spring 24 is wrapped around the shaft 18 and has its ends engaged with the crank 22 and with the bearing bracket 19, respectively, so that the force of the spring is exerted to normally hold the crank armi in its upright position with the plate 17 bearing against the mask 15. The plate 17 obviously will clamp the right hand edge of the negative to the mask, and, to secure the left hand edge of the negative, I provide a clamping arm 25 carrying a presser plate 26 of felt or some similar material which will engage the negative firmly enough to .securely hold it in place but will not tend to break or otherwise damage the negative. The arm 25 is provided at its lower end with a sleeve or hub member 27 loosely encircling the shaft 18, and a torsion spring 28 is engaged with the arm and with the adjacent bearing bracket ,i 19 to normally hold the arm in its upright position. A finger 29 projects from the arm 25 near the lower end of the same and has its extremity turned outwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby it will project into the path of movement of the crank 22 and will at times be actuated thereby. When a negative, indicated at 30, is to be secured in place, the crank 22 is pressed outwardly and downwardly so that the shaft 18 will be rocked and the clamping plate 17 swung away from the mask 15. The crank 22 in its movement will impinge against the linger 29 and the arm 25 will thereupon be forced to follow the movement of the crank. The plate 17 having been adjusted to the proper point along the shaft 18, the negative is held manually against the mask 15 over the open ing therethrough and the crank 22 is' then permitted to return to its normal position under the influence ofthe spring 24 so that the edge of the negative will be clamped against the mask by the plate 17. The spring 28 causes the arm 25 to simultaneously return to its normal position, but if the clamp 26 does not properly engage the negative, the

finger 29 may be manually manipulated to withdraw the said member from the negative and permit a readjustment of the same. It will be understood that the plate 17 will exert sufficient pressure upon thc negative at this time to prevent its dropping but will permit it to be shifted somewhat relative to the opening in the mask and relative to the clamping member 26 so that, when the said member is permitted to finally engage the negative, the latter will be firmly held in the desired position.

Journaled in suitable bearings 31 upon the front of the lamp house below the shaft 18 is a crank shaft 32 which extends across the front of the lamp house and has an. arm 33 extending from its central crank portion. In the normal position of the parts, the crank of the shaft 32 will extend forwardly horizontally from the lamp house, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1, and the arm 33 will extend obliquely upwardly and forwardly therefrom. To the end of the arm 33 are pivoted brackets or lugs 34 which are rigidly secured to the under side of a platen 35, the platen l being of any approved construction and consisting essentially of a metallic backing of substantially rectangular form and a cushioning surface 36 of felt or other material. The crank shaft 32 is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a torsion spring 37 fitted around one end of the shaft and having its ends engaged with the front wall of the lamp house and with a lever or crank arm 38 which is secured upon the end of the shaft and projects therefrom rearwardly at the side of the lamp house and in proximity thereto. This crank 38 is engaged at intervals by a roller 39 mounted on thc side of a hand lever l0 which is pivoted at its rear end to the side of f the lamp house and projects forwardly bevond the same in such position that it may be conveniently grasped for operation. The crank 38 is normally inclined slightly downwardly and rearwardly from the end of the 3 11 housing a push button switch, the button f of which is shown at 4t2 so that, when the lever is at the lower limit of its movement, the button l2 will be depressed and the lamps 11 thereby automatically energized.

The card or paper upon which the print is to be made is carried bythe platen up to and against the negative, such card or paper being indicated at l13. To retain the sensitized paper or Card upon the platen, a marginal stop est is provided in the form of a small metallic L'Ja plate projecting slightly beyond the holding surface of the platen -atthe lower left hand corner of the same, this stop serving as a means to position the paper or card upon the platen by having one end margin of the paper engaged against the side of the stop. This stop is formed integral with a metallic strip 45 disposed at the front or outer side of the platen and provided with a pair of spring lingers 46 which extend npuf'ardly and bear against the outer side of the platen in such a manner as to normally hold the stop 44 pro jected beyond the inner face of the platen. A rest or holding strip 47 is formed along the margin of the strip/45 and projects under and rearwardly beyond the platen so as to provide a support for tho lower edge of the paper or card in an obvious manner, and this rest held slidahly to the lower edge of the platen by screws 48 inserted into the edge of the platen through slots in the rest 47 in an obvious manner, and to further support the rest a retaining strip 49 is fitted against the same and under the heads of the screws in an ol vious manner. lhen the paper or card has been placed upon the platen with its margins resting againstthe rest47 and the stop 44, the platen is swung up to the negative and pressureexerted to hold the platen andthe paper firmly against the negative. `Inasmuch as the platen is pivoted upon the arm 33 and not firedthereto; it will have a slight'pivota-l movement upon the arm as it comes into position against the negative, the lower rest or strip 47 coming into contact with the plate 17 or the mask 15 before the entire platen is in a true vertical position but not, however, before there is contact between the paper or card andthe negative. The move- -ment'of the platen continues so that the platen i till swing pivotally upon the arm 43 and will press thepaper firmly and smoothly against the negative and in intimate contact therewith throughout the exposed area of the same.

"' Inasmuch as the support for the paper, aside from the clamping action of the platen, is withdrawn, the paper will at once fall from the platen as the platen recedes after the printing operation has been finished, and the dropping print will be received by a chute 50 which is disposed below the shaft 18 and extends through an opening provided therefor in the front wall of the lamp house to direct the prints onto the shelf 100, or into the drawer 8 where they may be permitted to collectfor subsequent development and fix-- ing.V It will be understood that the chtite 5() is of such form and so placed that it will be disposed between the terminals of the crank shaft 32 but within the angle or odset defined by the crank portion of the shaft so that it will not interfere in any way withthe proper action of the shaft.

Erected upon the base or bed plate l 'in front of the lamp house isa post 5l which accompanying drawings.

carries a buffer 52 to receive the impact of the platen when it is withdrawn from the negative and to support it in proper position to receive a card or other surface upon which a print is to be made. This post also has secured thereto stop arms 53 which are preferably resilient pla and are adapted to support the lower part of the platen in its released position, the resiliency of the plates serving to cushion the impact of the platen thereon.

A pair of brackets 54 are secured upon the front wall of the lamp house and in the upper outer ends of these brackets is journaled a rock shaft 55 having an operating crank 56 at its outer end arranged in the path of a projection 57 on the hand lever 40 so that, as the hand lever is swung downwardly to operate the apparatus, the crank 56 will eventually be engaged by said projection and the shaft rocked so that the crank arm 58 at the inner end of the shaft will be swung up wardly and rearwardly. This crank arm 5S carriesat its extremity a stamp 59 which may be of any approved form and is ordinarily provided with a strip 60 carrying dates which are intended to be impressed upon the back of the print at the same time that the sensitive surface of the same is subjected to the action of the light rays coming through the negative. The stamp 59 is pressed against the print through an opening 6l provided therefor in the platen and it is normally held in its lowered position by a torsion spring 62 wrapped around the shaft 55 and having its ends engaged, respectively, with the crank arm 58 andthe adjacent bracket 54. A stop pin 63 projects from the side of the post 51 to limit the downward movement of the crank arm 58 and to support the saine and the shaft 55 in their normal positions. An inking pad G4 is carried by the platen on the outer side thereof and at the upper edge of the saine in such position that, when the platen is lowered and the stamp 59 is at rest, the inking pad will be pressed against the type or other printing element on the stamp and will apply sufficient ink to the surface of said element to properly mark the succeeding photographic print. It will, of course, be understood that the stamp may be adjusted after each print so that the prints may be dated or successively numbered or otherwise marked so that they will be identified in the market.

lt is thought the operation of the apparatus will be understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the The paper, card or other material having a sensitized surface is placed upon the platen and properly positioned thereon after the negative has been secured in place by the plates 17 and 26. The hand lever 40 is then pressed downwardly and its first action will be to depress the crank 38 by the engagement of the roller 39 therewith. The downward movement of the crank 38 will, of course, be transmitted directly to the crank shaft 32 and the cranked portion of said shaft with the arm 33 will e swung upwardly toward the negative. Following the downward swinging of the crank 38, the projection 57 upon the hand lever will impinge against the terminal of the crank 56 and will rock the shaft 55 so that the crank arm 58 and the marking stamp 59 will be swung to the platen and through the opening 6l therein to impress the identifying symbol upon the sensitized material. While the roller 39 is in engagement with the crank arm 38 and the projection 57 is in engagement with the crank 56, the hand lever will impinge against the push button 42 so as to close the circuit through the working lamps and the parts will be held in the positions thus given them asV long as the hand lever is maintained in the lowest limit of its movement. The operator will determine the aeriod through which the hand lever shall e held in its lowest position by the nature of the negative and the character of the print desired. When the sensitive surface has been exposed to the light rays for the proper interval in t-he judgment of the operator, the hand lever 40 is released and the action of the springs 37 and 62 will return the parts to the normal position, it being understood, however, that the return movement may be retarded by the operator retaining hold upon the hand lever. As the platen returns to its position of rest, the stop member 44 and the strip 45 will impinge against the crank portion of the crank shaft 32 and the said stop and the supporting strip or rest i7 will be thereby projected beyond the upper surface of the platen and returned to proper position to support material upon which a subsequent print is to be made.

My apparatus is very simple in operation and provides means whereby photographic prints may be expeditiously made. Itis particularly adapted for printing postcards but, of course, may be used for making other photographic prints.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, a lamp house, means for supporting a negative on the front of the lamp house, a crank shaft mounted on the lamp house below the negative-supporting means and having an arm projecting forwardly and upwardly, a platen pivotally mounted upon the free end of said arm and carried solely by it, means slidably mounted on the platen to support material to be printed, said means being yieldably projected beyond the supporting surface of the platen, and means for rocking the crank shaft whereby to move the platen toward `and from the negative on the lamp 'house, the material-retaining means being engageable with the front of the lamp house whereby to be shifted relative to the platen and release the material to be printed.

2. ln an apparatus for the purpose set forth, a lamp house, means for supporting a negative on the front of the lamp house, a crank shaft mounted on the lamp house below the negative-supporting means, a platen carried solely by said crank shaft and having limited independent rocking movement thereon whereby to accommodate itself to the negative on the lamp house, a crank arm on the end of the crank shaft, yieldable means acting on the crank shaft to hold the platen in its inactive position, and a hand lever mounted at the side of the lamp house and extending across said crank arm whereby to press upon the same and swing the platen from its inactive position to a position against the negative.

3. ln an apparatus for the purpose set forth, a lamp house, means for supporting a negative on the front of the lamp house, a crank shaft mounted on the lamp house below the negative-supporting means, a platen carried solely by said shaft, a crank arm on the outer end of the crank shaft, a second shaft supported below said crank shaft, a crank arm at the outer end of the second shaft, a marker carried by the inner end of said second shaft, and a hand lever fulcrumed in rear of the said shafts and carrying a roller to engage the first-mentioned crank arm and a lateral projection to engage the secondmentioned crank arm whereby depression of said lever will swing the platen to a negative supported on the lamp house and will subsequently swing the marker against the outer surface of material supported on the platen.

t. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a lamp house, a shaft mounted upon the lamp house, the lamp house having an opening therethrough above the said shaft, a mask hung upon the lamp house over the said opening, a plate carried by the said shaft and rotatable with and adjustable along the same to engage one end of a negative and hold it against said mask, an arm loosely fitted upon the said shaft, means on said arm to engage the opposite end of a negative, and yieldable means holding the said plate and the said arm normally in upright position against the mask.

5. ln an apparatus for the purpose set forth, a lamp house having an opening through its front wall, a mask hung upon the lamp house over the opening, a shaft journaled upon the house below said opening, a plate carried by said shaft and rotatable with and adjustable along the same and adaptedto engage one end of a negative to hold the same against the mask, an arm loosely encircling the said shaft and constructed to engage the other end ofthe negative, yieldable means normally holding said arm in upright position, a crank at the end of the shaft whereby the shaft may be rocked to lower the plate carried thereby, and a finger projecting from the said arm into the path of the crank whereby the arm may be withdrawn from the negative simultaneously with the clamping plate carried by the shaft, the said finger being free of the crank to permit separate adjustment of the arm.

6. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, a lamp house, means for supporting a negative on the lamp house, a shaft mounted on the lamp house below the negative-supporting means and having a crank at one end, a platen carried by said shaft, a second shaft mountedL below the first-mentioned shaft and having a crank at its end, a marker carried by the second shaft, an operating lever adjacent the ends of the shafts arranged to successively engage said cranks whereby depression of the leverwill swing the platen to the negativesupporting means and then swing the marker against material supported on the platen, and yieldable means for retracting the platen and the marker and holding them normally retracted.

7. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, a lamp house having an opening in its front side, means for supporting a negative over said opening, a rock shaft on the lamp house below the opening therein, a crank on one end of said shaft, a platen carried by said shaft to move in an orbital path toward and from the lamp house, a second rock shaft on the lamp house below the first shaft, a crank on one end of the second-mentioned shaft in t-he vertical plane of the first crank, a marker carried by the second shaft to move toward and from the lamp house in an orbital path eccentricto the path of the platen, and an operating element arranged to successively engage said cranks for actuating the platen and the marker.

8. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, a lamp house having an opening in its front wall, a shaft mounted below the opening', a crank on said shaft, a plate carried by said shaft to hold one end of a negative against the lamp house at one side of the opening therein, an arm mounted loosely on said shaft to hold the opposite end of the negative against the lamp house at the opposite side of said opening, said arm having a lateral finger projecting into the path of the crank whereby the arm may be rocked by or independently of the crank, yieldable means holding the arm normally raised, and yieldable means holding the crank normally raised.

in testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

GUY YV. STALEY.' [La] 

